Early Childhood Education

Entry requirements

Candidates will normally have a good honours degree, relevant experience in the field of early childhood education and care is desirable. Applicants without a good honours degree may be eligible to register for a Post-Graduate Diploma, and transfer to the Master's course on completion of satisfactory coursework in the first year.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This course blends distance learning with face-to-face teaching. It’s open to early childhood professionals anywhere in the world, including early years practitioners, FE and HE lecturers, teachers, nursery nurses, voluntary and independent providers, and inspectors and managers working in areas relevant to early childhood.

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll develop the skills you need to carry out high-quality educational research relevant to your own culture. Those skills include a clearer understanding of the policies, practice and theories that underpin your work.

You’ll discuss international approaches and educational change with leading experts.

Structure, teaching and assessment:

There are 4 modules (30 credits each) and a dissertation (60 credits). The modules cover critical perspectives on early childhood education; contemporary issues in early childhood education; research methods and leadership and professional knowledge. The Dissertation enables students to engage in a sustained, critical, and ethical research study, producing a 13-17,000- word dissertation.

You'll study mostly at home, staying in contact with your tutor by telephone and email. You must attend three residential weekends in Sheffield during the two years of the course.

Course duration

2-3 years part-time distance learning

Information for international students

Overall IELTS grade of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component, or equivalent

Qualification and course duration

MA